In Deep Rock Galactic, the flying skulls return during Hoxxes Halloween 2026, which runs from Thursday, October 22 to Thursday, November 5. Shoot a skull down and bring it back during a mission, and your team earns a Double Performance Point Bonus. Separately, you earn the new Straw Boss hat through a special assignment, and the Last Year’s Horrors assignment unlocks every earlier Halloween hat. However, Ghost Ship Games has not published skull locations or a skull-hunting guide for 2026, so use last year’s tactics with caution.
Summary: Deep Rock Galactic Flying Skulls
- Event dates: October 22 to November 5, 2026, from 13:00 to 13:00 in the studio’s time zone.
- Flying skulls: shoot one down and deposit it to earn a Double Performance Point Bonus for the mission.
- New hat: Straw Boss, from a special assignment.
- Catch-up hats: Last Year’s Horrors unlocks all previous Halloween headgear, and you must finish it before November 5.
- Space Rig: a haunted hub with pumpkins and ghosts.
- Weapons: the LOK-1 Smart Rifle is a popular pick for skulls, but that advice comes from fan notes, not the studio.
- Not confirmed: skull locations, assignment steps and the exact number of old hats.
What the flying skulls are
The flying skulls are Hoxxes Halloween’s signature event creature. They cackle, fly around the caves and come back every October. The developer’s 2026 preview says R+D is investigating their patterns, and it sends miners back to hunt them for rigorous testing. That wording hints at something new, but it does not explain what changed.
The reward is the same as before. The announcement says you earn a Double Performance Point Bonus when you bring a skull back. Some coverage calls it Double XP, and older posts call it a double mission performance point bonus. The bonus ties to returning a skull, so a skull you shoot down but never deposit does not count.
Event dates and US time conversion
The Steam announcement lists both times as 13:00 CET. Ghost Ship Games works in Denmark, which still uses summer time on October 22, so I converted from 13:00 Copenhagen time:
| Moment | Studio time | US Eastern | US Pacific |
|---|---|---|---|
| Event starts, October 22 | 13:00 | 7:00 AM | 4:00 AM |
| Event ends, November 5 | 13:00 | 7:00 AM | 4:00 AM |
If the post means strict CET instead, the start would come one hour later, at 8:00 AM Eastern. Because the label is ambiguous, check the in-game timer on October 22.
Flying skull locations
There are no fixed locations. The 2024 announcement described cackling skulls flying around the caves, and the 2026 post says the same thing in different words. Nobody has published a spawn rule, a map position or a mission type that guarantees one.
That means two things for you:
- Skulls move. They are creatures, so expect to find them in the open, not at a set spot.
- Spawns vary. A skull may not appear in every mission, so do not abandon a run just to look for one.
If a site gives exact skull coordinates, treat it as a guess.
How to deposit a skull for the bonus
The official wording is short: shoot the skull down and deposit it during the mission. The 2024 announcement used the same phrasing, and the 2026 post says bringing a skull back earns the bonus.
A fan wiki page adds more detail, though that page leans toward jokes, so I would double-check it in the game:
- Shoot it down. The skull glows green while it flies.
- Pick it up. Once it falls, it becomes a heavy event object, and the terrain scanner can highlight it.
- Deposit it in Molly. The same page says the M.U.L.E. accepts it, like other event objects.
A Backbreaker Stout mug may help you carry heavy objects, according to that page. Still, the studio has not confirmed how the 2026 skulls behave, so treat the steps as last year’s behavior.
Best weapons for skulls
The skulls fly fast and offer a small target, so precision and tracking help. Community notes from past events suggest these options:
| Class | Weapon | Why players pick it |
|---|---|---|
| Engineer | LOK-1 Smart Rifle | It locks onto targets, which helps against a moving skull |
| Scout | M1000 Classic | Long-range precision for sniping a flyer |
| Gunner | Hurricane Guided Rocket System | The rockets guide themselves to the target |
These picks come from fan wiki advice, not from Ghost Ship Games, and the 2026 skulls may behave differently. Driller weapons get less praise because of their short range.
Straw Boss, Last Year’s Horrors and the hat rewards
The event has two hat paths, and they are separate:
| Assignment | What it unlocks | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Special assignment | Straw Boss, the new headgear | Before the event ends on November 5 |
| Last Year’s Horrors | Headgear from all previous Hoxxes Halloween events | Before November 5 |
Completing one does not give you the other. If you want both, finish both assignments.
The studio has not listed the steps, the mission count or a store price for Straw Boss. It has not given an exact count of the older hats either, so any number you see is unconfirmed. For reference, a fan wiki lists earlier Halloween hats such as Pumpkin King, The Witching Hour, Horned Horror and Mad Cap Clown, and later years added more.
Here is how to prioritize:
- New players: start the Straw Boss assignment first, then Last Year’s Horrors.
- Returning players: if you already own the old hats, focus on Straw Boss and skip Last Year’s Horrors unless you missed a year.
- Everyone: start on October 22, because a failed mission on the last morning leaves no room to recover.
The haunted Space Rig
The Space Rig gets the usual Halloween makeover. The announcement promises pumpkins and ghosts decorating the hub, and Double XP bonuses run during the event. The studio did not list any new vendors or items for the rig, so do not expect more than decorations.
Tips and common mistakes
Do not skip the deposit. The bonus requires you to bring the skull back, not just shoot it.
Do not trust skull coordinates. The skulls fly, and no source publishes a location.
Do not wait for the last day. Both assignments close on November 5.
Do not mix up the two hat assignments. Straw Boss needs its own special assignment.
Bring a weapon that tracks. A guided or locking weapon beats a slow-firing one against a fast flyer, but verify it in the game.
If you like seasonal Halloween events, our Aethercrypt Halloween map unlock guide covers another event with a boss, a quest board and limited-time skins.
What could change
Ghost Ship Games can adjust skull behavior, rewards and timing when the event goes live. Everything here is accurate as of October 18, 2026, based on the studio’s October 16 Steam announcement and the coverage cited, with weapon and deposit advice from fan notes. Check the in-game assignment text and the Steam news page on October 22.
Conclusion
Hoxxes Halloween 2026 runs from October 22 to November 5, and flying skulls earn your team a Double Performance Point Bonus when you shoot one down and deposit it. Start the Straw Boss special assignment and Last Year’s Horrors early, and bring a weapon that tracks fast targets. Treat any skull location or step-by-step route as unverified until the event goes live.
FAQs
When does Deep Rock Galactic Halloween 2026 start?
It starts on Thursday, October 22, 2026 and ends on November 5.
What do the flying skulls give you?
Bringing one back earns your team a Double Performance Point Bonus for that mission.
How do I get the Straw Boss hat?
Complete the event’s special assignment before November 5.
What does Last Year’s Horrors unlock?
It unlocks headgear from all previous Hoxxes Halloween events, and you must finish it before November 5.
Where do the flying skulls spawn?
No source publishes fixed locations, because the skulls fly around the caves.
What is the best weapon for flying skulls?
Fans recommend the LOK-1 Smart Rifle, though that advice comes from past events.
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